Longtime AHS Assistant Band Director Matt Harloff Chosen to Lead the Marching Black and Gold
Writer / Kevin Carr
Photography Provided
Avon Community School Corporation (ACSC) has hired longtime Assistant Band Director Matt Harloff as the new director of bands at Avon
High School (AHS). He has been a fixture at AHS and in the Avon band community since he joined the staff in 1996. His sweeping expertise and active involvement in multiple marching band organizations have garnered Harloff national respect. He is the natural choice to continue the Marching Black and Gold’s tradition of excellence, and to lead them into an exciting future, which includes preparations to march in the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
“Matt Harloff has been an integral part of the band program’s excellence over the past two decades,” says AHS Principal Matt Shockley. “He knows how and why the Avon band program is so respected in Indiana and across the country. It is because of our hard-working and dedicated students, talented staff, and supportive families. He brings the expertise, leadership and stability our program needs to continue its future success. I am thrilled to welcome Matt Harloff as our next director of bands and collaborate with him in the years to come.”
“It is always a wonderful thing when someone you know and respect ends up being the right person at the right time,” says ACSC Superintendent Dr. Scott Wyndham. “Without a doubt, Matt Harloff has played a large role in the success of our band program for well over two decades. I cannot wait to see how the program continues to flourish under his leadership.”
Harloff takes the baton of one of the most successful high school band programs in the U.S. The Avon Marching Black and Gold and related winter ensembles have amassed well over 50 state championships, and nearly 20 world and national championships, through the last three decades.
Harloff earned his Master of Arts in Education from the University of Indianapolis, and his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education at Indiana University Bloomington. In addition to his role at AHS, Harloff has extensive leadership experience as an instructor with the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps, a member of the Winter Guard International Steering Committee, a guest conductor with organizations like Bands of America, and a music arranger for multiple marching bands.
